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The bo-tree is considered sacred by the Cingalese, who believe Budhu often rested himself under its shade. They may be seen to bow in passing it, and not unfrequently a wall, breast-high, is built about its trunk to prevent injury. In this wall are nitches constructed for placing lighted lamps in on extraordinary occasions. The bread-fruit-tree, and several others growing by the road-side, afford the traveller a most refreshing shade in the heat. Logs of wood or seats, or old canoes are often found under them for sitting or reclining on.-The oppressive, scorching heat of the day, and the inverse piercing chill of night, are known, not unfrequently, by fatal experience, to every eastern traveller.

1 Kings, xix. 19. So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

Two oxen only were fastened to one plough, not one-fourth so heavy as a common English one, That in Calmet just answers to the Cingalese one, which is of very simple contrivance, held by one hand, and drawn by two oxen. Returning from Amblamgoddy to Galle, in March, 1824, I met several yoke of oxen, and a man carrying three ploughs on his shoulder. On being asked how many he could carry, he said, five.

1 Kings, xx. 34. And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities which my father took from thy father I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria,

The Moors resident in Indian towns, commonly dwell in the same neighbourhood, and often exclusively occupy a particular street:-Moor-street, Colombo, for example. A gentleman of my ac

quaintance having a large Chinese map of one of their chief cities, desired a Chinese who knew the place, to give him some description of it. He instantly pointed out the divisions assigned to the different classes of people.

1 Kings, xxi. 3. And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.-John, iv. 12. Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof, and his children, and his cattle?

The people of Indostan very reluctantly part with a family estate, from which they generally take their title. I heard a Cingalese woman object to sell a spot of ground; assigning as a reason the pleasure she experienced in eating cocoa-nuts, produced by the trees that had supplied the family in former times.

1 Kings, xxi. 23. And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.—2 Kings, ix. 35. And they went to bury her; but they found no more of her than the scull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.

Bruce mentions that his own dogs greedily devoured the limbs of those killed and hewn to pieces, being denied burial. The dreadful execution of Agag, 1 Sam. xv. 33, was equalled by what Bruce witnessed. In Bengal, jackalls may every day be seen devouring human bodies left unburied.

1 Kings, xxii. 11. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron; and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them. See also 2 Kings, xiii. 17. Ezekiel, xii. 1–7. Hosea, i. 2. Jeremiah, xxvii. 2.

Instruction by signs as well as by similitudes, seems to have been an established usage. The

grand seignior has a number of dumb men, who in this way express difficult matters to admiration.

1 Kings, xxii. 25. And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. See also 1 Kings, xx. 30; and Judges, xv. 1.

Imagine a long gallery, or a large hall, into which the doors of cells open, consisting each of one or two rooms for each person;-one used for sleeping in, the other for any purpose less retired. Such are those of monks and nuns; and the harams of the Turks.

2 Kings, ii. 19. And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of the city is pleasant, as my Lord seeth: but the water is nought, and the ground barren. [Margin, causing to miscarry.]

-Perhaps literally true;-many places in the old and new world are known to be inimical to parturition.

2 Kings, v. 17. And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord.

It seems earth is used by Mahometans for purposes of purification when water is unprocurable; and this is supposed the object of Naaman.

2 Kings, v. 23. And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.

Presents of raiment are usual in the east to this day.

2 Kings, v. 21, 22. So Gehazi followed after Naaman: and when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? [Heb. Margin, Is there peace?] And he said, All is well.

I never read this passage without fancying a Malabar man running after the chariot, and on being met by Naaman, making a most profound bow, and uttering the word Selam-the word used on this occasion, and still in use among millions in the east.

2 Kings, vi. 25. And there was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

The dove's-dung, some think, was not used for food, but for raising melons; but it is more likely to have been a species of pulse so called.

2 Kings, vii. 1. Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To-morrow about this time, shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria.

The gate of an ancient city was the principal place of business. Here the people, passing in and out, especially those employed in cultivation, easily met. Here was the court of justice; the market; the exchange; and apartments for the transaction of state affairs. Gen. xix. 1; Deut. xxi. 19; 2 Sam. xix. 8; 2 Chron. xviii. 9; Esther, iii. 2; Prov. xxii. 22; Amos, v. 12; Job, xxix. 7; Lam. v. 14.

2 Kings, viii. 15. And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died.

Hazael is considered as having adopted a mode of remedy usual in such disorders; and seems to

have occasioned the death of Benhadad by accident, or without suspicion.

2 Kings, ix. 30. And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.-Judges, v. 28. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots? Her wise ladies answered her

In Barbary and the Levant, a latticed window or balconade fronts the street, for the fair on festivals to show themselves.

2 Kings, xi. 1. And when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.-Judges, ix. 56. Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren.-2 Kings, x. 7. And it came to pass when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jezreel.

The history of the neighbouring kingdoms, proves that such tragedies are by no means uncommon. In a despotic kingdom, a revolution often consists in cutting off one tyrant with his family, and enthroning another without materially affecting, the public welfare.

2 Kings, xvi. 3. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.

Compared with 2 Chron. xxviii. 3, this passage is found to vary in expression. In the feast of fire, annually celebrated (says Maurice,) in honour of Darma Rajah, the devotees walk over a fire forty feet long; some of whom are not necessarily burnt to death. In Ireland, it is said, on midsummer eve, the people dance round fires and leap over them, so

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